Will the Basques defend their Europa League spot?
In the penultimate matchday, Villarreal and Real Sociedad will battle it out for sixth place – and a Europa League starting spot. The Basques are three points ahead of the team from the Spanish east coast and would already successfully defend their sixth place with a draw at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
The Champions League semi-finalists will have to play to win at home if they are to make the leap to sixth place. Villarreal had already warmed up during the week when they won their away match against Rayo Vallecano 5:1 on Thursday evening. The odds are also swinging in favour of the home side ahead of the clash between Villarreal and Real Sociedad.
The Basques, however, were able to end their drought during the week. After picking up just two points from a possible 12 in four consecutive league games, Erreala recorded a 3-0 home win over Cádiz.
With both rivals in the battle for sixth place having warmed up accordingly, it makes a lot of sense in our eyes to bet on Villarreal against Real Sociedad to score over 2.5 goals.
Villarreal – Statistics & current form
Never before has Villarreal Club de Fútbol won the national championship or the Copa del Rey. All the more spectacular were the recent international performances of the team from the Spanish east coast, which secured the overall victory in the Europa League in the summer of 2021.
It was only because of this coup that Unai Emery’s team was allowed to start in the Champions League in the current season, in which the next high flight almost took place. In the knockout rounds, the Submarí Groguet (the yellow submarine) eliminated Juventus and Bayern, but then failed to reach the semi-finals against Liverpool.
With a home win still into the Europa League group stage?
Meanwhile, at national level, things went so-so once again. The yield of 56 points from 36 league games is not bad, but it is not enough to secure the right to start in the top flight, let alone to play in the top flight.
It would be all the more desirable for the team from the Valencian Community in the east of Spain to at least secure a ticket for the Europa League group stage, for which a home win against the Basques is now a must.
Only lost two of 18 home La Liga games
The home record is clearly in favour of Unai Emery’s team, who have won ten of their 18 home games at the Estadio de la Cerámica in La Liga and have only suffered two defeats. Only Real Madrid and Sevilla (one home defeat each) lost less often at home.
With a 5-1 win at Rayo Vallecano during the week, the Submarí Groguet are favourites going into the penultimate matchday.
Predicted line-up of Villarreal:
Rulli – Pedraza – Torres – Albiol – Foyth – Trigueros – Capoue – Parejo – Chukwueze – Lo Celso – Alcácer
Last matches played by Villarreal:
La Liga
13/05/2022 – Rayo Vallecano 1 – 5 Villarreal FC
08/05/2022 – Villarreal FC 1 – 1 Sevilla FC
Champions League Final
04/05/2022 – Villarreal FC 2 – 3 Liverpool FC
La Liga
30/04/2022 – Deportivo Alaves 2 – 1 FC Villarreal
Champions League Final
28/04/2022 – FC Liverpool 2 – 0 FC Villarreal
Real Sociedad – Statistics & current form
Real Sociedad de Fútbol lost their opening match in the 2021/22 season 4-2 at Barcelona, but since the second matchday the Basques have been in the top third of the table. For long stretches, the Txuri-Urdin (in German: die Weiß-Blauen) even had a Champions League starting place.
However, due to several losses of points in the home stretch of the season, the current sixth-placed team, which has always been in the top six of La Liga with the exception of three match days, could now still slip to seventh place with an away defeat in Villarreal.
None lost in last three away games at Villarreal
This is exactly what Imanol Alguacil’s side need to avoid at the Estadio de la Cerámica, where they would lose the right to play in the Europa League again. A draw is enough for the Basques to maintain their three-point lead over Villarreal.
The recent away record is encouraging that at least the draw will be maintained on the Spanish east coast. Erreala have not lost any of their last three away games at Villarreal (two wins, one draw) and have always scored at least two goals in three of their last four away games here.
Only four defeats in last 18 league games
There have also been just four defeats in Txuri Urdin’s last 18 league games overall, although they have not exactly covered themselves in glory in recent weeks. In May, only one point out of a possible six was taken from the games against the smaller teams Rayo Vallecano (1:1) and Levante (1:2).
However, with Imanol’s side ending their drought of four consecutive league games without a win with a 3-0 victory over Cádiz last week, Villarreal’s betting on a point for the Basques against Real Sociedad is by no means out of the question.
Predicted Real Sociedad line-up:
Remiro – Rico – Zubeldia – Elustondo – Gorosabel – Rafinha – Zubimendi – Merino – Silva – Sörloth – Januzaj
Last matches played by Real Sociedad:
La Liga
12/05/2022 – Real Sociedad 3 – 0 Cadiz
07/05/2022 – Levante 2 – 1 Real Sociedad
01/05/2022 – Rayo Vallecano 1 – 1 Real Sociedad
22/04/2022 – Real Sociedad 0 – 1 FC Barcelona
16/04/2022 – Real Sociedad 0 – 0 Real Betis
Villarreal – Real Sociedad Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 18 – 15 – 10
There have been a total of 43 meetings between the two teams so far and Villarreal lead the head-to-head comparison with 18 wins. The Submarí Groguet also won the first leg 3-1, but have failed to win any of their last three home games against the Basques (one draw, two defeats).
Villarreal – Real Sociedad tip
It is difficult to make a prediction on the outcome of Villarreal vs Real Sociedad, as both teams can make their case. In favour of the Submarí Groguet is the fact that only two of their 18 home games in La Liga have been lost, while the Basques are unbeaten for three away games at the Estadio de la Cerámica and have also lost only four of their last 18 games in La Liga overall.
It therefore makes a lot of sense to go for the goal bet. With a view to the fact that the home side have to win and are expected to be more attacking than usual, things could well heat up. Already in seven of the last eight duels between the two teams, goals have always been scored on both sides.
